The sister of a Lincolnshire man who went missing in the French Alps is appealing for help to trace him.

John Bromell, 39, was last seen five days ago, Sunday, January 7, when he told friends in the French resort of Tignes that he was going to snowboard “one last run” on his own.

According to the Telegraph, at 4.20pm that day a closed-circuit television camera captured Mr Bromell scanning his lift pass and boarding the Pacquis ski lift in the Toviere sector of the resort in poor visibility and heavy snow.

Fears for his safety were heightened following an avalanche earlier this week which saw heavy snow fall and buildings evacuated.

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His sister, Hayley Bromell, has issued an appeal on Facebook for people to share her post on her missing brother.

Her post says: “PLEASE SHARE- My brother John Bromell has been missing since Sunday 7th snowboarding in Tignes, France. We would really appreciate it if you could share this post as it may help us to find him. Please get in contact if anyone has any information. Thank you for your help.”

Her post has been shared 730 times, with several people commenting to offer messages of support.

One, Tim Healey, said: "I'm currently in Tignes, so am mentioning it to all reps so they're aware and will spread it, hope he's found soon."

Another, Matthew Hall, said: "On the radio this afternoon and this keeps being mentioned in the National News Headlines. A rather strange feeling I must say.Stay strong Hayley, thinking of you and your family, hope he is found safe and well."

Organisations searched for him after friends alerted local police to his disappearance.

They were unable to contact him on his mobile phone.

Helicopters were called on Tuesday to airlift around 13,000 tourists who were stranded for two days at Swiss resort Zermatt.

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Posters were circulated by police in Tignes on Monday afternoon describing Mr Bromell as 6ft tall, wearing a coloured hat and chequered ski jacket, and speaking only English. His friends said he was an experienced snowboarder.

“We’re all just hoping he’s cut off at the moment and will be able to get back once the weather clears. He’s just a good bloke and we want him to come home safe,” Stuart McQueen told The Telegraph .

He is not thought to have been wearing an avalanche beacon or any other detection equipment.

Search and rescue operations have been almost impossible for most of the time he has been missing because of heavy snow and the “extreme” avalanche risk, with the resort on lockdown.

Only a few lower slopes were able to open to the public yesterday, with all higher slopes and lifts, including the Pacquis chairlift, closed.

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Holidaymakers in the resort were advised to stay indoors yesterday morning because of the risk of snow slides but a clearing in the weather in the afternoon allowed a helicopter to join the search mission focusing on the notoriously volatile Lavachet Wall area, where a father, his two sons and a snowboard instructor were swept to their deaths last winter.

A resort spokesman said: “Teams are out trying to make the runs safe and using explosives to trigger controlled avalanches.”